Summary
Marvel’sBladeis struggling to get off the ground, but Mahershala Ali’s vampire-hunting hero could have already made hisMCUdebut in a different project. Eric Brooks is one of the most famous characters in Marvel Comics' occult repertoire. Better known as Blade, Eric Brooks faces all kinds of dark and mystical threats, coming into conflict with villains such as Deacon Frost, Michael Morbius, and Dracula himself. Despite the character’s popularity, and despite the fact thatMarvel’s first threeBlademovieswere crucial to the superhero movie genre’s current success,the MCU’sBladereboothas faced several obstacles.
Bladewas first announced at San Diego Comic Con 2019, with star Mahershala Ali himself revealing the project’s basic details and expressing his excitement about introducing the titular anti-hero in the MCU. Since then,Bladehas been delayed multiple times, both due to franchise-wide setbacks and due to major changes inBlade’s development. Within five years,Bladehas lost two directors and has reportedly been rewritten from scratch five times. While it’s clear that Marvel and Mahershala Ali are trying to getBladeright, it’s also true that Blade’s first set-up has been completely ignored.
The MCU Is Wasting Eternals’ Post-Credits Scene
Eternals Teased A Blade And Black Knight Storyline In 2021
In 2021,Eternals' post-credits sceneshowed Dane Whitman gathering the courage to unveil a family treasure until he’s stopped by someone off-screen, who asks him whether he truly believes he’s ready to face the consequences. The treasure is, of course, the Ebony Blade, and the mysterious man is Mahershala Ali’s Blade.Eternals' post-credits scene set up a shared adventure between Blade and Black knight, but nothing has come of it so far.TheBladesolo movie is still a long way off, and Kit Harington doesn’t have any MCU appearances on his schedule.
If there weren’t any plans to continue this plotline, there was no justification forEternalsto include a Blade tease.
Eternals' post-credits scene didn’t necessarily have to set up a Blade and Black Knight crossover movie, but three years without any payoff or any updates on Dane Whitman’s whereabouts raises many questions about the scene. If there weren’t any plans to continue this plotline, there was no justification forEternalsto include a Blade tease, which only becomes more awkward as the MCU moves on.Blade’s multiple delays and rewrites only add insult to injury, and the fact thatEternals' ending and mid-credits teasehaven’t been acknowledged either makes it seem as thoughEternalshad been completely disregarded by Marvel.
The MCU’s Mystical Characters Have Spent Too Long Without A Crossover
Marvel Doesn’t Take Advantage Of Each Occult Character’s Popularity At Their Peak
Blade and Black Knight aren’t the only two characters who seem to have been thrown to the wayside after their first appearance (or voice cameo, in Blade’s case).Moon Knightset up its titular character to be one of the new A-list heroes of the Multiverse Saga, yet there are no projects in the MCU’s current slate where Moon Knight is set to return, except forAvengers 5orAvengers: Secret Wars, both released more than four years later. Likewise,Werewolf By Night, Elsa Bloodstone, and Man-Thing have no confirmed appearances in any ofthe MCU’s upcoming projectsannounced so far.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessreinforced Wong’s status as a fan-favorite character, and calls for a Wong solo series reached their pinnacle with Wong’s supporting role inShe-Hulk: Attorney at Law. However, Wong hasn’t been seen or heard of in almost two years now. Although it might still be too early for anAvengers-level crossover that brings all occult heroes together, these characters should have met each other by now, or at least started to build a defined MCU journey of their own.
Doctor Strange may be the only mystical character who could get another project separate from an Avengers movie, possibly in the form ofDoctor Strange 3, released in betweenAvengers 5andAvengers: Secret Wars.
Blade Drafts Haven’t Included Black Knight Or The Ebony Blade
Eternals' Ebony Blade Tease Will Likely Remain In The Backburner For Years
The constant changes inBlade’s production suggest that nothing about Eric Brooks' first MCU appearance is set in stone yet. For instance, actor Aaron Pierre leftBlade’s cast after one of the project’s many rewrites. However, Dane Whitman actor Kit Harington hasn’t been attached toBladeat any point. Although Marvel could surprise audiences with a brief Dane Whitman cameo whenBladefinally arrives in theaters, Kit Harington’s absence inBlade’s many drafts suggests that Black Knight and the Ebony Blade definitely won’t play any role in the movie.
Eternals Sets Up Dane Whitman’s Black Knight In The MCU - All 6 Teases
Eternals' post-credits saw Dane Whitman gain the Ebony Blade, but Marvel’s Black Knight was subtly set up over the course of the entire film.
In Marvel Comics, Dane Whitman inherits the Ebony Blade and the mantle of the Black Knight from his uncle, Nathan Garrett. Unlike Nathan, Dane uses the Ebony Blade for heroic purposes, and he resists the weapon’s corrupting influence to become an independent superhero and an Avenger. Meanwhile, Blade works full time as a vampire-hunter, but he stays out of the Avengers' large-scale conflicts. Blade and Black Knight never really cross paths in the comics, therefore any shared storyline between them in the MCU would have to be an original idea.
What A Blade And Black Knight Crossover Could Be About
A Blade And Black Knight Special Presentation Or Series Could Be A Great Prelude For A Bigger Crossover
Taking into account that Blade and Black Knight have no comic book storylines in common, their hypothetical MCU team-up could adapt part of both characters' source material. Blade warned Dane Whitman about the Ebony Blade’s perils either because he wants to use it as a weapon to fight vampires, or because he doesn’t want the sword’s full potential to be unleashed. As a result of Blade’s intervention,Eric Brooks and Dane Whitman could face villains who want the Ebony Blade for themselves, including Blade villains such as Draconis and Lilith, as well as Black Knight antagonists like Mordred and Bloodwraith.
Blade and Black Knight could create the Nightstalkers in a Special Presentation release under theMarvel Spotlightbanner.
Instead of a full-length movie that precedes or followsBladeandBlack Knightsolo projects, their first team-up could serve as a prelude to aMidnight Sonscrossover. In the comics, Doctor Strange assembles a small team to fight the mother of all demons, Lillith. Some of the heroes Strange recruits into the “Nightstalkers” are Blade, Ghost Rider, and Morbius. In the MCU, Blade and Black Knight could create the Nightstalkers in a Special Presentation release under theMarvel Spotlightbanner before adding more members and rebranding their team.
